Roadfood in Racine

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties 
- Roadfood Favorites in Racine Wisconsin

I love all the little lake towns found up and down Lake Michigan. I’ve taken the circle tour twice in life which allowed me to visit many of them. Though my favorite is just a short ride from home. Racine sits at the mouth of the Root River just 22 miles south of Milwaukee and 60 miles north of Chicago. It’s neighbors with Kenosha though Racine is typically looked at as the rougher of the two which is probably another reason I like it. Racine isn’t all that different from most Rust Belt towns but its location on Lake Michigan adds some prettiness to the grittiness of it. I’ve been exploring this area for a long time but never for more than a day at a time as it’s so close to home there’s no point in visiting longer than that. But I recently had a work related gig that had me in town for four nights which meant I got to hit up all the classics in one swoop. Racine is a big Roadfood town which is the main reason I like it so much. I always enjoy stopping in at the city’s iconic eateries but usually have to pick and choose as I’m typically only in town a few hours max. Racine has as good of a starting five of iconic eateries as you’ll find in a town of around 75,000. Four of the places we’ll visit have been featured on here before but never together in one swoop like this. Let's check them out. 

Pics from Racine
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Bendtsen's Bakery

The Kringle is Racine’s claim to fame in the food world so it’s only appropriate that we start out at the locally loved Bendtsen’s Bakery. The Kringle is said to have come to this area with the Danish in the late 1800’s. Racine would later earn the nickname Kringleville giving you an idea of just how popular the kringle is in these parts. The shareable rings of buttered and glazed pastry come in many flavors and are found all over town but my favorite comes from this fourth generation bakery. I just cant decide if it’s the cherry and cream cheese or the pecan - so I always get one of each. Since 1934. 

Kringle from Bendtsen's Bakery
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Kewpee Sandwich Shop

There’s just 5 locations left of this once thriving franchise that Dave Thomas frequented as a kid (he once credited Kewpee as the inspiration for Wendy’s). I’ve been to them all - three are in Ohio and another is in East Lansing - but the Racine location is by far the best of the bunch. In fact it’s one of the better burgers anywhere. Kewpee is the second oldest hamburger chain in the country having been founded in Flint Michigan all the way back in 1923. Named after the Kewpie doll it’s currently headquartered in Lima Ohio where their downtown location is a local landmark. Though both the Racine and East Lansing locations are separately owned meaning the burgers are a bit different at each of them. There’s a rumor they still grind beef hearts into the blend here in Racine but I don’t know for sure. What I do know is the beef tastes like it used to and the double cheeseburger here is one of my favorite burgers anywhere. They have some weird hours (8a-2p) and some even weirder dolls staring at you as you eat sit in their oldest of old school dining rooms, but this is a burger worth seeking out. Not just one of Wisconsin’s best but one of the best burgers anywhere. Since 1926. 

Double Cheeseburger at Kewpee Sandwich Shop
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DeMark's Bar & Restaurant

It only took me a decade since first learning of it but I finally made it to DeMarks Bar & Restaurant for their popular Pizza Burger for the very first time last summer. You may have had a pizza burger before but unless you’ve been here you haven’t had the original which is unlike all others. It starts with what they simply call “pizza sausage” but it isn’t just sausage like that on a pizza. It’s a full fledged patty that’s 100% pork but texturally it’s just like a thick and juicy burger. I don’t know how they get it like they do but my best guess is they grind their Italian sausage into a more coarse product than usual. The end result is a fennel forward flavor bomb that’s easily the best “bomber” I ever ate in Racine and or Kenosha - bombers are what they call Italian beef, sausage, and meatball sandwiches loaded with marinara, melted cheese and hot peppers on French bread in these parts. DeMark’s is a textbook tavern with a fully sized shuffle board and all sorts of cold booze available for there or taking out. They started serving drinks back in 1939 although the business itself goes all the way back to 1906. 

Pizza Burger at Demarks
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La Tapatia

Racine is a crispy taco town as evidenced in this post from 2016. But not the kind made of store bought shells, the type made crispy by frying them to order. There’s handfuls of spots around Racine making real deal tacos dorados but this family run convenience store with a restaurant in back was the first and is still the best. Get them with ground beef and be generous with the salsa. Since 1981. 

Crispy Tacos at La Tapatia
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Wells Brothers

What more can I say about this place? There was a time when there was little info online about the legend that is Wells Brothers Pizza. It was named one of the country’s best pizza spots in a random list in USA Today circa 2005 which sparked someone on LTHforum to ask about it but the thread went silent for four years until I visited back in 2009. I posted about it on here around that same time and have been hyping it up ever since then. No I’m not taking total credit for its popularity outside of Racine but I can tell you right now I’m the one that set it in motion as there was a time when my blog post would pop up as the first result when you searched Wells Brothers online as there was little coverage of it outside of that. Wells Brothers was also featured in a New York Times piece by Kenji Lopez who learned about it thru Steve Dolinsky who was taken there by me. The sausage pizza is why you’re here - it’s my favorite pizza anywhere. It’s pretty much the only thing I ever get but sometimes I’ll also add a side of spaghetti and meatball and yes meatball is meant to be singular in that you can get a side of spaghetti with a house meatball for like $3 and it’s pretty damn good. 

Spaghetti and Meatball 


Pizza Burger

The pizza isn’t quite as thin as that at Zaffiros in nearby Milwaukee but it’s still one of the thinnest anywhere and I love the cornmeal crust on the bottom. They almost always cook it perfectly which is a bit on the well done side resulting in a crispy crust throughout. Wells also makes the best Italian sausage so that’s what you should get as far as toppings. You can also try a pizza burger here which is made with that same incredible made on site sausage and it’s worth an order should you need something on top of the pizza. While not quite as good as DeMark’s it's different enough to stand out on its own. When I was working up here in December I knew I would be taking a pizza home with me so I was finally able to stop in and try their popular lasagna which is $12.25 with soup or salad on Wednesdays. On top of that you can add a piece of Italian sausage for a buck. What a deal! My only complaint was I wish they put more melted cheese on top but other than that it was peak red sauce Italian. I’ll always have a special spot for the 2009 inaugural winner of the “Roadfood Stop of the Year” which is why I almost always stop here anytime I’m near. The pizza reheats really well so I often take it home but dining in at Wells Brothers is an experience in of itself. Sit at the bar and get a large sausage pizza and indulge in a cold Spotted Cow or one dollar cans of Hamm’s for full effect. Since 1921 - though the pizza recipe came up from Chicago with some relatives post World War II.

Sausage Pizza at Wells Brothers
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See ya next time @chibbqking

Pizz’Amici

-Grubbing in Chicago  
Tavern Thin Pizza in West Town

Chicago is a world class food town with Midwestern roots meaning no matter how many interesting places open none will gather as much buzz as a pizza or steak place. We’re in that stretch of the year where there’s been quite a few openings that seem worth checking out and per usual there’s one spot everyone is talking about more than the others. Today I’m going to give my two cents on Pizz’Amici. 

Recently Opened in West Town

Pizz’Amici opened at 1215 W. Grand Avenue right at the end of last year. One reason it’s been such a popular opening is that there’s a connection to the also popular Kim’s Uncle Pizza out in Westmont. Kim’s was spawned from Pizza, Fried Chicken & Ice Cream which was working out of Bridgeport after the people behind it became locally famous giving out free pizza via Instagram @EatFreePizza during the pandemic. According to Eater Chicago the couple behind Pizz’Amici were partners with another guy who bought them out at Kim’s Uncle Pizza and with that they opened Pizz’Amici. It’s a small space with only so many tables so it’s been tough to get a resy with doofuses like Dave Portnoy praising it. That said we walked in around opening and we were seated at the bar immediately.

a peek inside

I liked the atmosphere here as it feels like an old school spot despite being brand new. I’m not sure what was here before but it feels like an old Italian restaurant when you enter. The space is small with just one dining room and less than 10 tables total. The menu is also on the smaller side with Chicago style thin crust and a handful of antipasti on offer plus a couple dessert options. I was visiting with my wife who likes to start out a pizza dinner with a salad so we began with the Caesar Salad which the menu describes as "crunchy greens, pangrattato, caesar dressing, white anchovies". We both agreed that it was a very good rendition of former Tijuana resident Caesar Cardini's creation. 

Caesar Salad at Pizz’Amici 

The pizza all comes in one shape (thin) and one size (14") and they start at $21 with toppings ranging from $2 to $5 each. As regular readers know I'm a tavern thin pizza purist meaning I like my Chicago style thin crust with sausage and nothing else though onions and peppers or even some giardineria included can also good. But I grew up eating sausage and will never switch to pepperoni even though it seems to be more popular at these trendy transplant hyped spots. We got one sausage and one with mushrooms, onion and green pepper. The pizza looked good upon arrival and it was steaming hot so I made sure to let it rest and not regret going in too quick and leaving a sliver of skin hanging from the roof of my mouth. First things first I had to grab a corner slice. Not bad I thought but the real test comes with the second slice which is always one of the non corner crust squares. I like to fold it like a NY slice and test just how crispy it is. Unfortunately this wasn't as crisp as I hoped it would be. 

Sausage Pizza at Pizz’Amici 

The pizza didn't crack so to say despite being cold cured ala Pat's Pizza on Lincoln. I also thought the sausage was missing something but in fairness I always feel that way at the newer spots that insist on making it on-site despite the availability of a quality product from multiple Chicagoland vendors. My other problem was the sauce which tasted like it had too much going on. Maybe I prefer a milder sauce or maybe I'm just not used to such a heavily seasoned pizza sauce but it dominated the flavor. It might sound like I didn't like this place at all but I still thought the pizza was very good just not the best in town like some others are saying. Actually I enjoyed the veggie supreme pizza more than the sausage which was a first. The quality of the mushrooms and the freshness of the onion and peppers really worked in sync with the well spiced sauce. Overall this is a great opening for the area as there isn't anything else like it along Grand avenue there. The people behind Pizz’Amici have pushed pizza forward in Chicago and I'm almost positive the pizza is always improving as that's what perfectionists like them set out to achieve. I recently saw the backshot (the crust side) of a slice and could tell they're already making it a bit different then when I was there as the picture showed a bunch of dots and the pizza I got had a bunch of diagonal lines going thru the dough. I'll happily go back but I wont be making reservations weeks ahead as that's just not my style when it comes to getting a pizza. 

Veggie Pizza

Pizz’Amici
215 W Grand Ave
Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 285-2382
Website

Old School Chicago Diners

-Grubbing in Chicago
Five of a Kind: Greasy Spoon Diners

I wouldn't say the greasy spoon dining genre is headed towards extinction but it's certainly been endangered with each and every closing across the country. There's really no bringing these places back to a healthy number either as you just cant recreate them in any form or fashion. It takes decades for a greasy spoon diner to fully spawn and in today's age they're just not suitable for most areas. There's no exact definition but there's plenty of traits that make a place a blue collar greasy spoon diner. They're usually small, they're always cheap, and they've rarely been remodeled. There's still a decent amount of these places left in Chicago but there's not nearly as many as before. 

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Uncle Bens Grill (West Town)

If one of those Chicago PD or Chicago Fire TV shows ever needs a low key greasy spoon diner to film at Ben's Grill on Damen is a good call. It used to go by Tommy's Grill but it switched names a while back. I must've driven past this place a hundred times before I finally stopped in last summer when I was getting a cracked windshield on my car fixed across the street. The inside looks exactly like you can imagine and so the menu is what you would imagine too. It's pretty standard with all the usual suspects when it comes to American style breakfast. The biscuits and gravy get some love in online reviews so I went with a small order and they weren't bad for being this far north of the Mason Dixon line. They were better than I thought they would be. The biscuits weren't anything special but the gravy was highly seasoned with lots of sausage and had a nice and creamy texture to it too. 

Biscuits and Gravy at Uncle Ben's Diner 
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Parkview Restaurant and Grill (Pilsen)

Our next stop serves up some of my favorite chilaquiles in town. Parkview Diner at the corner of 19th and Damen is a mother and son run spot that's been serving the people of Pilsen for more than 35 years and the more Pilsen changes, the more this place stays the same. The menu is a fun mix of American and Mexican breakfasts and also a few Chicago style items too. The Mexican food here is old fashioned and similar to what you would find elsewhere in Chicago back in the 90's. But it's a step above as they put care into their food such as making their aguas frescas and soups on site. They also grow their own peppers for their salsas. Whatever you get from here it's going to be a hefty plate of food for a more than fair price but I cant get past the chilaquiles loaded with tender hunks of steak. 

Chilaquiles at Parkview Diner 
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United Grill (Belmont Cragin)

You wont find much info about United Grill online and that's how it usually is for a blue collar establishment such as this. They have two locations and I've featured the one in Cicero before. They also have a spot on Armitage just west of Cicero. It recently under went a renovation inside but before that this place felt like something straight out of the 80's. That goes for its looks and feel as well as the menu and prices. When I visited more than a year ago I had a very satisfying patty melt that was something like $6 or $7 with a huge side of hash browns. The patty melt was just about perfect although it is a thinner patty than most but both sides of the bread were well toasted and they loaded up on the grilled onions and the cheese was well melted. I think it might be time to revisit them soon. 

Patty Melt at United Grill 
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Cinderella (Back of the Yards)

Any and every greasy spoon diner worth it's weight does burgers for breakfast. Back when I was a kid in my pre teen days we used to go to this long gone place on Fullerton Avenue in Lincoln Park called Glenn's - it was maybe a half black west of the Walgreens and they had the best greasy burgers we would get for breakfast. Well I was reminded of my trips to Glenn's when I recently returned to Cinderella on 47th street in Back of the Yards early one morning this past winter. At the time I had no idea this out of date diner was still open until I read a feature at Block Club Chicago. Cinderella’s is ran by a Polish grandma named Helen Borowicz who walks to work every day and when I say nothing here has changed I mean that in a literal sense as burgers are still $2.15 each and the dining room is filled with little relics from another era as well as random piles of junk that looks like it hasn’t been touched in 20+ years. Stepping into here is like going to your grandparents house circa 1993. 

a peek inside

There’s few if any places like Cinderella’s left, the burgers taste like they come from a time machine. I got one with mustard and onion and another with lettuce, tomato, mayo and they’re even better than I remembered them to be, just be ready for the smell to linger like a bag of sliders will do as they reek in a way only an old school burger does. I should note that they're the frozen hockey puck variety but there must be some really good flavor in that flattop as they had that classic old school taste to them. According to that Block Club article Helen started working here in 1974 when her future husband hired her to work the Easter shift and the rest is Chicago restaurant history as she’s been working at Cinderella’s ever since then. Her husband passed away in 1993 and she’s been running the show solo ever since. The menu is a short and simple mix of breakfast and sandwiches and includes a few clues into the neighborhoods old Eastern European past such as a liver sausage sandwich ($3.50). If you visit in summer the tomatoes in the BLT come from the garden in back and with that I have to ask how is this place not listed on the Chicago Historic Resources Survey identifying close to 10,000 properties in Chicago with historic or architectural significance? Cinderella is almost a time portal.

Cheeseburgers at Cinderella
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Golden Nugget (Avondale)

Our final stop is one of the more well known blue collar greasy spoon diners in town. Golden Nugget is a homegrown mini chain from another era. Actually I was curious about it's history so I did a little digging and came to find that it was started in Florida by a Chicago guy who named it after the famous Las Vegas casino where he had previously worked as a blackjack dealer. The Golden Nugget first popped up in Chicago in 1966 and they still have four locations left. If you've ever been to the Golden Apple in Lakeview or had been to the Golden Angel at Lincoln and Montrose those too were once Golden Nuggets. I'll be honest I've never been a big fan in part bc we always ate Mexican food late night when I was in that phase of life. I'm just not a big American breakfast person in the morning or the night so Golden Nugget was never my first choice for food after alcohol. But it was and still is for many as they remain open 24 hours at this Diversey location (the others close in the afternoon). The last time I visited any of them was actually right around the pandemic when it felt like the world was headed to the shitter and nothing mattered so I said f-ck it one night and decided to eat here. The menu at Golden Nugget is almost as long as a children's book. It reads like a Sysco catalog with just about any and every diner type dish you can imagine. I somehow ended up on the "Little Italy" section which reads like a menu in Omaha's Little Italy. Whatever I was on that night had me wanting some chicken parm after putting it into my head so that's what I got and it was about what you would expect. It's not the best chicken parm except when it is in those wee hours of the morning. 

Chicken Parm and Spaghetti at Golden Nugget
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Previously Featured Greasy Spoons:

Mr. A's
Don's Grill
Fred's Place
Pete's Place
Johnnie's Grill

The Choo Choo
Alexander's Restaurant

See ya next time @chibbqking

Taquizas Valdez

-Grubbing in Chicago  
New Aged Mom & Pop Mexican in Irving Park

It's been a hot minute since Chicago had a mom and pop type Mexican restaurant to get excited about but that time has passed with the recent opening of Taquizas Valdez on Irving in Irving Park. 

Recently Opened in Irving Park 

The menu at Taquizas Valdez is a reflection of its owner / chef. Diners can choose between the restaurants signature tacos and tortas as well as mouth watering wings or baskets of French fries loaded up with skirt steak, banana pepper fondue and beans. Ivan Valdez was born in Chicago and grew up in Logan Square where his parents ended up after emigrating to the U.S. from Mexico. Upon entry into his restaurant customers are greeted by a beautiful hand painted mural showcasing his families journey. It takes up an entire wall and includes the flags of both Mexico and the United States as well as nods to his service in the U.S. Marines Corp and fatherhood. Valdez first gained a love for cooking through his mother who he often accompanied in the kitchen as a kid before going on to work professionally in kitchens across the city including the now defunct Quiote in Logan Square. 

Taco El Americano

The taco portion of a Mexican restaurants menu is pretty much the first thing I peep when looking over the menu of a new to me spot. You can get a good idea of what type of cooking they're doing based off the taco options. Too many spots serve up the same uninspired menu with the usual taco suspects - steak, chicken, and "al pastor" which I put in quotes because it's rarely the real thing. But not here where the tacos are unique and creative with options like the El Americano made with skirt steak, muenster cheese, lettuce, tomato, and lime crema on a toasted flour tortilla. Chicago wing enthusiasts should take note of the Taquiza Wings which come in four flavors - spicy red salsa , spicy green salsa, Mexican lemon pepper, or tossed in Valdez’s moms mole sauce made with three different chilies (árbol, mulato, ancho), sesame seeds, and bananas among other things. Each order comes with a refreshing made on site ranch sauce plus pickled vegetables known as ecabeche.

Mexican Lemon Pepper Wings at Taquizas Valdez 

All the tortas at Taquizas Valdez start with fresh baked and heart shaped bread and the Pambazo Valdez might be my favorite Mexican sandwich in town right now. The soft but sturdy bread is dipped into a guajillo chile sauce and toasted before being loaded with a medley of sautéed mushrooms, black beans, crispy fries, lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, lime crema, queso fresco, salsa macha. It’s an absolute beast of a sandwich despite containing zero meat. A recently added menu item - Mexican corn ribs with guajillo butter and lime cotija mayo - is on my to try list next time because after visiting twice it's safe to say Taquizas Valdez is the best Mexican restaurant to open in a hot minute.  

Pambazo de Hongos at Taquizas Valdez 

Taquizas Valdez
3038 W Irving Park Rd
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 681-0227
Website

Roadfood in Kentucky

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties 
- Pit Stops for Roadfood in Kentucky

Kentucky has always been an interesting place to me. So much so that I have a huge google maps guide of Roadfood to seek out throughout the state. I've always wanted to take a road trip through there and explore the region. I've never been able to do one solely focused on the Bluegrass State but I have driven through there more than a few times over the years and whenever I do I always find interesting spots to stop at. Here's five from two separate trips I took to North Carolina and Florida. 

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150 Quick Stop (Bardstown)

This gas station / convenience store is home to some of the best breakfast sausage in the world. You'll find it in Bardstown which is in the heart of the states bourbon producing territory (about an hour southeast of Louisville). I was turned onto to this top sausage by Chef Newman Miller, a friend of mine who lives in the area. Actually he and the sausage at 150 Quick Stop made an appearance in an article at Food & Wine Magazine which you can see HERE. The recipe to this sausage might've been won in a local poker game, or lost depending on how you look at it. So the story goes the owners of the truck stop beat a local butcher in a poker game and won his breakfast sausage recipe in doing so. It's a spicy sage forward blend with plenty of red pepper flakes found throughout. If you show up early enough you can try it in a biscuit - they make up to 600 a day. I arrived around 11a on my visit and it was already too late to score a sausage biscuit but they also sell it raw in two sizes and since we were on our way to Carolina for a week of outdoor stuff I made sure to grab some for the AirBNB. It really is the best damn sausage I've ever had as far as the breakfast variety goes. Oh so f'ing good. 

Breakfast Sausage from 150 Quick Stop 
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Wilson's Pool Room (Versailles) 

Ever had Pool Hall Grub in Kentucky? Oh that's a thing. Handfuls of pool halls are hanging on around the Bluegrass State and each one serves up some form of locally loved grub be it chili dogs, burgers, or both. Below is the Willie Burger from an old pool hall in Bourbon Country. Nothing special as far as the prep or dressing of it (fresh ball of beef lightly smashed with lettuce, tomato, mayo, onion) but it was one of the best burgers I had that year. I had to pass on the country ham sandwich bc this was a second lunch so I limited myself to just one choice for the sake of this massive food database that I continue to build. I hope to visit a few more Kentucky pool halls at some point before they all close. 

Willie Burger at Wilson's Pool Room 
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Tortilleria Y Taqueria Ramirez (Lexington)

If you ever find yourself in or passing through Lexington (aka Mexington) you got to stop at Taqueria Ramirez. There's a sizeable Mexican population in both Lexington and Louisville and lots of taco spots too. If you only have time for one of them I suggest this family owned taqueria that serves up the best tacos in the U.S. I've ever had outside of California, Texas, or Illinois. Upon entry you're greeted by a big assembly line production of corn tortillas made with Weisenberger Mills corn from Midway Kentucky - a place famous for its grits. The fillings include options like cabeza, lengua and barbacoa with each of them being as good as the last. This is a real blue blood type of taqueria.  

Tacos at Tortilleria Y Taqueria Ramirez 
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G&E Burgers (Williamsburg)

As regular readers know I'm a big fan of regional food and an even bigger fan of hyper local dishes like the Eastern Kentucky Chili Bun. A chili bun is simply a chili dog without the wiener. It's said that these first started to appear at pool halls in the area around the 1950's. They made for a cheap and tasty snack for the local miners and others who hung out at these pool halls after work and what not. I had plans to stop at a different spot but it was suddenly closed due to the passing of the owner. Luckily G&E Burgers was just down the block which gives you an idea of the chili buns prevalence in these parts. If you grew up or lived anywhere near Appalachia you likely have a favorite spot for one and or an old family recipe. The bun is dressed with mustard and onions before the sauce goes on. The chili here is a well spiced meat forward blend with minimal tomato detected. It wasn't spicy but had plenty of buzz. Also of note was a side of "soup beans" that come with the chili bun meal. Pintos are a big part of the Appalachian diet and soup beans as they're called are commonly served with cornbread, greens, and potatoes and are considered both a main course and also a side dish.

Chili Bun at G&E Burgers
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Dovie's (Tompkinsville)

Our final stop is one of the most interesting stops you can make on the Roadfood circuit - but it's a bit out of the way from any major highway so it's also somewhat elusive. Dovie's is home to some killer burgers (literally). They've been frying up balls of beef since 1940. When I first found this place searching through food stops in random Kentucky towns I thought I came across a relatively unknown place but then I checked the Insta check-ins and saw that a few fellow burger connoisseurs had already been here (@motzburger, @burgerbeast, @jcstrutz). So I knew it would be a fun one and it was. Particularly made so by the handful of local ladies who run the place. It's quite a riot inside as far as the atmosphere goes and quite the heart stopper on the burger and baloney front. I ordered mine "unsqueezed" which means they don't release any of the oil that the beef soaks up while frying. It wasn't the best burger I've ever had but it was one of the best roadfood experiences I've partaken in. 

Cheeseburger at Dovie's

Baloney Sandwich at Dovie's 
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Roadfood in Kentucky (2015)

Stopping in at Three Paducah Favorites (2019)

Eating BIG in Louisville (over the years)

See ya next time @chibbqking 

Siam Thai Eatery

-Grubbing in Chicago  
Thai Food in the South Loop Via NYC

Chicago's Thai food scene has always been pretty good but it’s not quite on the same level as LA and NYC. It’ll likely never reach the formers level as Los Angeles is home to the world’s largest Thai community outside of Thailand. The city’s ‘Thai Town’ neighborhood is the main point of entry for the more than 100,000 people from Thailand that now call Southern California home and more than half live in or near the neighborhood. In the case of the ladder, the Queens area is home to the country’s second largest Thai enclave. The other factor is quality of ingredients - like produce - available on the coasts compared to here in Chicago where it’s just not as good or in some cases just not available. That said the recent Michigan Ave opening of a well known Thai restaurant from NYC is trending.

Recently Opened in the South Loop

Siam Thai Eatery was established in 2022 in Flushing Queens where they first debuted their “home-style Thai dining with traditional flavors infused with fresh ingredients.” They became popular and opened a second location in Staten Island and now a third location in Chicago on Michigan Avenue in the city’s South Loop neighborhood. A note on their Instagram page states they’re also opening locations in Houston and LA. The South Loop outlet opened in March and it’s been crazy busy ever since. Clearly the area, which has become a bit of an extension of the city’s Chinatown neighborhood, needed a good Thai joint. It’s not all that big inside so I would recommend getting reservations if you plan to go during peak eating hours but they're open for both lunch and dinner. It’s byob for now but they have plans to offer a full liquor menu with cocktails and all once they get their booze license. 

a peek inside

I’ve visited Siam Thai Eatery twice now and we didn’t hold back with the ordering on either visit. Both visits came on a Monday night and on each time the place was busy with people waiting for tables. It’s a lively restaurant so don’t come here expecting a quiet night. The menu has a collection of Thai classics many of which they put their own little spin on. I was excited to see they have stir fried Morning Glory listed but so I was told they’ve had a tough time procuring water spinach so it hasn’t been available on either visit. My first impression of Siam Thai Eatery’s food was a good one as me and Steve Dolinsky started with a Spicy Pomelo Crab Salad that hit all the high notes of a classic Thai dish - it was sweet, it was spicy, and it had a nice funk to it. Pomelos are a large, round citrus fruit with a yellow/green/pink flesh and lots of spongy pith. They’re less bitter than grapefruit and have a firmer texture and are peeled when put to use in a salad such as this. I've never had this dish elsewhere. 

Spicy Pomelo Crab Salad at Siam Thai Eatery

Two visits in it feels like the crab dishes are a strength of this place. When I visited with Steve we ordered the ‘creamy crab curry’ but it never came out in the onslaught of dishes we tried and that was fine as we were both stuffed by the time we realized it never came. I had the same waitress each time and the service was more than fine but they’re new and they’ve been busy from the jump so that's not to come without mistakes being made. I was able to try the crab curry on a recent return visit when me and Erica joined our favorite drinking couple - my wonderful aunt and uncle - for a lovely dinner which included champagne, Chablis and some white burgundy (all from France of course). The crab curry was the first dish to come out and we all enjoyed the creamy house curry mixed with eggs, cream, scallions, celery and lots of luscious lump crab meat. It comes served alongside a small flatbread roti cut into four individual pieces. Our only complaint was it wasn’t served all that hot as it came out lukewarm. Also it would've been nice to get some rice with this dish to soak up the liquid.

Creamy Crab Curry at Siam Thai Eatery 

We had one other problem with a stir fried clam dish that two people at our table got an alkaline taste from so we sent that back only to have the manager come back and tell us he ate one and they were fine but he was going to remove them from the bill. He didn’t have to act all high and upitty about it but he did the right thing removing them from the bill as those that had the bad ones knew something wasn’t right about them. An order of the chicken satay wasn’t all that great either but I was kind of expecting that to be the case as that's more of a specialist type dish best ate at a spot that specializes in it and sells a ton. I appreciated the use of dark meat but it was overcooked and didn't taste fresh. As far as the apps go we had much better luck with the grilled pork jowl which is a dish I always like to try at Thai restaurants. Fatty but well rendered pieces of pork neck are sliced and served alongside a lip licking Isan style hot sauce. I suggest adding a rice to this one and eating it all together. The Money Bag Dumplings were such a hit on both visits that I’ve added them to my best dumplings in the city list. This Chinese finger food favorite is usually served during Lunar New Year to signify prosperous times head. These delicious morsels of fun are filled with a savory pork mixture and encased in a wonton wrapper before being fried until golden and crispy. These dumplings are different from traditional wontons by the piece of chive carefully wrapped around the end of each dumpling. The ones at Siam Thai Eatery burst with flavor and come served with a sweet plum sauce. 

Money Bag Dumplings

Grilled Pork Jowl at Siam Thai Eatery

We’ve tried at least one of the Thai noodle dishes on each of my visits and both the pad Thai and the Pad Khe Mao were good. I never get Pad Thai as it’s typically too sweet in the States but I’ve tried versions from places catering to a mostly Thai clientele and they’re always much better. The Pad Thai in Thailand was pretty damn good and the version served at Siam is much closer to that than the typical Americanized style. The chili powder served on the side is super spicy so use it sparingly. The Pad Khe Mao is also a really good rendition of the spicy stir fried flat noodle dish I consider to be somewhat of a comfort food. The use of long hot peppers gave this version a really nice spice profile. 

Shrimp Pad Thai

Shrimp Pad Khe Mao

Getting back to my initial visit with Steve Dolinsky we both enjoyed the duck red curry which comes served with a crispy half duck in a stimulating Thai style red curry mixed with tomatoes, lychee, pineapple, coconut milk and basil. The duck was chopped up like a jerk chicken which I love as it allowed the curry to seep into every nook and cranny of the carcass. Duck curry isn’t a dish I get often but this was one of the best I’ve tried. Speaking of curries both me and Steve have an affinity for Khao Soi which has become one of the signature dishes of Northern Thailand. Khao Soi is a coconut milk-based noodle soup made with wheat-based egg noodles in a coconut milk curry broth and the bowl is topped with crispy deep fried noodles too. It's typically made with chicken but beef is also common. I pretty much always enjoy this dish and the version here was no different but I wouldn’t quite place it among my favorites in town. We got it with chicken so it came with a very traditional chicken leg but I think I prefer my Khao Soi with beef which is a short rib at Siam Thai. I would however add the Pad Kra Pao to my list among the best versions in town. Siam serves a minced pork version which is really well made in terms of texture and taste and it has good spice too thanks to a bunch of chopped up Thai peppers. My only complaint is it doesn’t come with a fried egg nor is there an option to add one. 

Duck Curry 

Khao Soi

Pad Ka Pao

Finishing up with my most recent visit with the wife and my aunt and uncle where we finished with the crab fried rice. We all liked this one which came with well fried rice and the crab was nice and fresh too. I liked how they put an omelet on top of the mound of rice and the spicy fish sauce included with the dish took it up a notch. Two visits in and I've liked eight of ten dishes I’ve tried and that’s more than enough to go back and further explore the menu. It’s just one spot but the opening of Siam Thai Eatery could be the beginning of the city’s next step up in terms of the local Thai food scene.

Crab Fried Rice at Siam Thai Eatery

Siam Thai Eatery
1329 S Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 763-6193
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